The present invention relates to toy water guns, particularly those used by children for producing water discharges by the operation of a manual-type pump. The invention also relates to variable-fluid discharge devices particularly useful in such toy water guns.
A wide variety of toy water guns have been developed and are presently in use. The classical hand-operated toy water guns (commonly called “squirt” guns) are generally capable of producing a single type of discharge, namely a continuous stream discharge having a range according to the force applied by the user to the hand-operated pump, typically the trigger of the toy gun. In the past 20 years, a pre-pressurized “water drencher” type of toy water gun has become very popular since it is capable of discharging a large quantity of water at a relatively high pressure tending to soak or drench the target object. Also known are toy water guns, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,253, capable of selectively producing either a continuous stream discharge or a spray discharge.
My prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,229 discloses a multi-action toy water gun which includes, among other features, an expansible water discharge chamber which is filled and pressurized by a manual pumping device acting on a pumping chamber communicating with the discharge chamber. The discharge chamber further includes a pressure-responsive valve which is normally closed, but automatically opens when the pressure within the discharge chamber reaches a predetermined value. The valve opening is effected with a snap-action such that the water remains in the discharge chamber until the predetermined pressure is reached, at which time the snap-opening valve effects a quick and short discharge of the pressurized water within the chamber.
The invention may be embodied in a toy water gun wherein the chamber is of small volume, such that a small-quantity, short discharge of the water is produced immediately upon the snap-action opening of the valve. Such an embodiment is particularly useful for shooting at targets to improve marksmanship. However, the invention has also been commercially embodied in a single-action toy water gun wherein the chamber is of a large volume such that a large-quantity or blast discharge is produced for soaking or drenching purposes.